Overhead door



R. H. GREEGOR 2,020,831

OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Dec. 29, 1933 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fis. l.

Nov. l2, 1935.

RALPH ILGREEGOR, ,sv

l-I h9 Fis. 2.

R, H. GREEGoR ",020,831

` OVERHEAD Doon Filed Dec. 29, 1933 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG, 3.

Nov. l2, 1935.

Nov. l2, 1935. n. H. snes-:Gon

OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Dec. 29, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 B RALPH H.GREEGOR, y ma Nov. l2, 1935.

R. H. GREEGOR 2,020,831

OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Dec. 29, 1933 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 In/umm RALPH AGREEGOR, :by

R. H. GREEGOR OVERHEAD DOOR .Nom l2, 1935.

Filed Dec. 29, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 @TTL N w C E16@ MV w Nov. l2, 1935, R. H. GREEGOR OVERHEAD DOOP.

'7 'sheets-sheet e Filed Deo. 29, 1935 Nov. 12, 1935. R. H. GREEGOR OVERHEAD DOOR Filed Dec. 29, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 www BY A lPatented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT :.oFFlcE j OVERHEAD DOOR Ralph H. Greegor,.-Colnmbus, Ohio, assigner, by mesne assignments, to General Door Company, Reno, Nev., a corporation of Nevada Application December Y29, 1933,'Serial No. 704,377

13 claim.. (c1. zo-zo) This invention relates to improvements in overhead articulate doors, and has for its object to provide, in connection with such doors, a counterbalance means to aid in the opening and closing of the doors for ordinary use.

It is an object of this invention to provide, in connection with an overhead door and a counterbalance means connected therewith, means for a rapid opening oi' the door in cases of emergency,

such means comprising an. automatic driving spring adapted to be operatively connected to the door or detached therefrom;

It is particularly the object of this invention to provide, in connection with an overhead door,

l5 counterbalance means for. operating the door under normal conditions, and means cooperating with the counter-balance meansfor opening the door in the case of an emergency when rapid action is desired.

It is the object of this invention to provide means for yieldingly counterbalancing the door to facilitate its raising and lowering by hand; and to combine with this normally operative counterbalancing means, yielding means abnormally operative for rapidly elevating the door in conjunction with the counterbalancing means to lift the door without manual assistance.

It is an object to so provide this arrangement that there is a-clutch between the emergency lifting apparatus and the remainder of lthe mechanism that permits of the free operation of the door and the counterbalancing means without disturbing the emergency lifting means: and when the door is shut this clutch islin position to immediately transmit the movement of the emergency lifting means to the door when that means is released for that purpose.

This application is a division of my application led May 29, 1933, Ser. No. 673,464.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through part' of free ends of the horizontal tracks for support-` ing the door.

Figure 4 is an inside view` of the door and the door operating structure shown in Fisure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the operating shaft and associated mechanism for operating the door. 5

Figure 6 is a view similar'to Figure 5 but with parts broken away to show the interior structure.

p Figure 7 is a side elevation of a ratchet mechanism used in connection with the automatic driving spring and a bracket support therefor, 10 with the shaft in section.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8 8 oi.| Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view of the ratchet and its support and cooperating strucl5 ture used in connection with the automatic driving spring. In this figure the discs and the tumblers are in such engagement that if the pawl were released from the ratchet wheel the spring would operate to elevate the door. 20

Figure 10 shows the ratchet wheel, the discs and tumblers in the positions they assume when the ratchet wheel is engaged by the pawl and the door is raised for ordinary passage, and without the cooperation of the automatic driving spring. 25

Figure 11 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 9. l

Figure 12 is a section on the line I2-I2 of Figure 9.

Figure 13 is a section on the line l 3-l3 of 30 Figure 10. l

Figure 14 is a side elevation of one of the discs with the tumblers thereon.

A Figure 15 isan edge view of one of the discs with the tumblers thereon. 35 Figure 16 is a view` showing one end ofthe door cable supporting drum.

Figure 17 is a side elevation of the drum with parts broken away to show the interior of the structure. l 40 Figure 18 is a section through the door jambs just above the upper edge of the door, and showing the upper edge of the door and the tracks in section.

Figure 19 is a section through one part of the 45 door :lamb showing the door with a notch in one corner and a sealing strip on the jamb tting in the notch.

Figure 20 is a section on the line 20-.26 of 50 t Figure 3.

The wall of the building is indicated by the numeral I, and has supported thereon the usual ceiling or overhead structure 2. In the wall is a doorway lfwhich has across the top and down each side a jamb, strip 4. Inside of these strips and around the doorway are mold strips 5. against which the door will engage when in closed po- SitiOn.

On each side of the doorway is a vertical track 6, supported thereon by means'of brackets 1 suitably attached to thewall and to the track. Supported in a horizontal position beneath the ceiling and above the door are two trackways I, each connected to one of the vertical tracks by means of an arcuate track I0. The horizontal tracks are supported on the ceiling by means of brackets 9. 'I'he horizontal tracks, the vertical tracks and the arcuate connection form thecomplete trackway for supporting the door in various positions from a closed to an open overhead supported position.

On each side of the doorway and on the wall above the doorway is a wall bracket II adapted tosupport a transverse shaft I3. Each of these brackets is connected to thev horizontal track by means of an arm I2. These arms help to properly support the brackets and also give strength and rigidity to the tracks. Each wall bracket has a seat I4 therein and holes I5 on diametrically opposite sides of theseat.

These seats are adapted to receive and prop erly seat a ring casting I6. which is enlarged at one-end to form a chamber I1. Each ring casting has a central hole. I8 extending from the center of the chamber for the vshaft I3. This casting has a plurality of holes arranged around the central shaft hole adapted to receive bolts by which the casting may be fastened to the wall bracket. Two bolts are used foreach casting and they extend through two holesy in the casting, through the two holes in the wall bracket.

Since there are more than two holes in the `ring casting and the ring casting is rotatably adjustable on the bracket, the ring casting may be adjusted to various positions and held therein by means of the bolts passing through the holes. For the purpose of rotating the ring castings each is provided on its periphery with a plurality of ears I9, each having a hole 20 thereinto receive a suitable tool.

In the chamber I1 of each ring casting is a bearing cage 2|, which ts over the shaft Ilv and has between the shaft and the inner surfaces of the bearing cage roller bearing members 22. The bolts used for supporting the ring casting in adjusted position with relation to the wall bracket are indicated by the numeral 23. There are two of these ring castings, one adjacent each end of the shaft, and adjacent each ring casting there is a sleeve 24 suitably attached to the shaft to prevent the longitudinal movement of the shaft with relation to the ring castings and the wall brackets. y

There is also provided on the shaft a collar 25 spaced from one of the sleeves 24. Around the shaft and between lthis collar and its adjacent ring casting is a cylindrical casing 26, suitably supported at one end on the ring casting. A

yspring 21 is coiled around the casing 26. and has one end attached to the ring casting while its other end isattached to the collar` 25. This is the counterbalance spring and is used for ordinary hoisting and lowering purposes.

On each end. of the spring without the wall bracket is a drum 2l, which has on its periphery a groove 28. Each drum is provided on its interior with a web .Il having oppositely disposed arcuate slots 3i and a large aperture I2. There is also provided in the web an abutment u and 5 an arcuate cable seat 34, in the center of which is a bolt hole l5 adapted to pass through a loop in the cable for holding the cable seated in the seat 34. There is also provided in the periphery of the drum and atone end of the groove a cable 10 hole The groove is spiral shaped and extends from the hole 3G, around the drum, from one end to the other.

Fitting within the drum is a casting 31, which has a hub l! thereonwith a hole to receive the l5 shaft I3, and by which the casting is attached to the shaft to rotate therewith. The casting has a lug 39 adapted to pass through theA aperture 32. Extending through the lug is ascrew 40 which engages the abutment 33l for holding 20` the casting in proper position with relation to the outer part of the drum. This screw has a locknut 4I thereon to'prevent its rotation after it has been properly adjusted.' v A i The casting is provided with holes 42 adapted 25 to align with the slots 3| in the web of the drum.l For the purpose of holding these two parts `together, the casting and 1 the drum. bolts 'are passed through the slots and through the holes in the web, or screws may be passed through the 30 4slots and threaded intovthe holes in the web so that a slight adjustment may be made between the casting and the web part of the drum. The cable attached at one end to the seat 34 and passing through the hole 26 is indicated by the 35 numeral 43. There is one of these 'cables for each drum, and it passes about the drum and has its lower end attached to the lower end of the door, which is composed oi a plurality of sections 44.

On the wall at each side of the doorway adjacent the upper edge of the `door when itjis closed there is a bracket 45, winch has a downwardly and outwardly inclined slot 45. On each edge of the door, et the mp thereof, is a platen .45 which has at its upper end an arm 4I pivoted' at one end to the plate, with a roller 49 on its other end fitting in one of the tracks 8. 0n the lower end of each plate is an inwardly projecting arm 50, which has on its free end a roller 5I adapted to engage the bracket 45 in the slot 4l for forcing the upper part of the door against the door jambs.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4 the shaft Il, instead of being supported immediately above the door, is supported on the ends of the tracks by means of brackets 52 suitably attached to the ends of the tracks. In this form there is attached to the bracket II a roller 52, over which the cable passes from the lower edge of the door to the drums located on the shaft Il, supported on the ends ofthe tracks. On each edge of the door is a plurality of rollers 5 4 engaging the tracks for guiding the door during its closing and opening operations. Y .5

In Figure 5 there is shown the automatic spring 55. Thisspring is adapted to cooperate with the spring 21 for rapid opening of the door, and 'is an automatic driving spring. One end oi|` this spring is attached to one of the ring castings in the same 7 manner as spring 21. The other `end of this spring 55, instead of being attached to a collar 25, is attached to a ratchet wheel 55 vrotatably mounted on a sleeve 51, suitably attached tothe shaft Il for rotation therewith. u

In this sleeve 51 is a groove i8 adapted to receive the seat part 60 of a bracketv ll suitably attached to a support 6I bymeans of bolts $2. Thissupport is supported in some suitable manner on the wall 4or tthe ceiling of the building.

Between the sleeve 51 and one of the ring castings is a cylindrical sleeve 6I, around which the spring 55 is coiled. The sleeve 51 is yheld against movement on the shaft'toward the ring casting by means of a collar M.

There is alsolocated on the shaft I3 a collar 65, which has extending therefrom an ear with a screw 61 therein. Between this collar and the end of the sleeve 51, remotefrom the spring Il, is a plurality of discs '88, on each of which are disposed tumblers il. One of the tumblers on the disc adjacent the collar is adapted to be engaged by the screw 81, while one of the tumblers on the disc adjacent the sleeve I1 is adapted to engage a lug 10 on the sleeve.

To hold the ratchet wheel N there is provided a pawl 1I, pivoted at 12 on the support 6I. Extending from this pawl at its pivot point is an arm 13, by which the pawl may be released from the ratchet. A spring 14 attached at one end to the arm 13 and at its other end to the support 6I tends to hold the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

For the purpose of limiting the movement of the pawl away from the ratchet wheel there is provided a stop 15. The pawl is released from the ratchet wheel by means of a cable or rope 16 attached at one end to the free end of the arm 13.

A's shown in Figure 19, the door has on each edge a notch 11 adapted to receive a sealing strip 18 attached to the door jamb strip and mold strip. There is also provided, in connection with the door, a hand hold 19 and a foot piece 80.

In the form shown in Figures l to 4 no automatic driving spring is used. In this form the articulate overhead door may be raised by taking hold of the hand hold and raising the door thereby. The spring 21 is suiliciently tensioned that the door may be readily raised by applying a slight lifting force to the handle. The spring when the door is in closed position has stored up energy therein because of the force applied thereto in closing the door. This stored-up energy is utilized in opening the door when necessary.

'I'he tlnsion of this spring is not sumcient to overcome the weight of the door and to provide a latch means for opening the door, and in order to provide an automatic driving spring an additional spring 55 may be provided on the other end of the shaft I3 from the spring 21, as shown in Figure 5. In the event both springs are used and it is desired to operate the door without employing the automatic driving spring the pawl 1I is maintained in engagement with the ratchet wheel so this wheel cannot turn. The discs permit the rotation of the shaft I3 in regard to the ratchet wheel in one direction. V

As shown in Figure 5, the cables are wound upon'the drums so that the doors are supported from the rearof the drums so that when the door is elevated the tops of thedrums move toward the observer. This rotation of the drums and the shaft I3 .will cause the tumblers 69 to move from each other, as shown in Figures 5 and 9, and assume a position shown in Figure 10. These tumblers are sufiicient in number to permit of the free rotation of the shaft for suitable elevation of the door. The number should be suficient that the tumblers will engage each other in a manner the opposite of that in which they y V:s engage before the door vcan be raised, orwhen the door was in its closed position, such as shown In the event it is desired to open the door rapidly and automatically, the cable 16 is pulled to re- 5 lease the pawl 1I from the ratchet wheel. When this is done both springs 21 and f5! act to rotate the shaft Il and the drums 28, whereby the door is elevated without any manual assistance.

Y In this operation the top of the ratchet wheel. as shown in Figure 5, is caused to move toward f the observer; This movement of the ratchet wheel causes eachlof the' tumblers, to engage its neighboring tumbler to rotate the shaft. It will be observed that these tumblers, when the door 15 isin closed position, must engage'one another so that as soon as the pawl is released from the ratchet wheel the spring 55 acts upon the shaft to rotate the drums.. The spring 21 is so connected that it always acts upon the shaft' Il for 20 rotating the drums. y

The tension on the springs may be regulated by adjusting the ring castings with relation to the wall brackets. With thel proper adjustment the lowering o f the door creates a tension in both 25 springs and stores up energy therein to be used in the future opening of the door. A cross bar 8I connects the outer ends of the tracks 8 and has thereon springs 82 to engage the upper end of the door when open.

Now assume that the door is closed and the ratchet wheel is held by means of the releasing lever and the door is raised by hand. The shaft is turned as the drums revolve and the collar starts to revolve away from the lug on the adja- 35 cent tumbler. This collar makes one revolution, then picks up the tumbler on the opposite side; it also revolves one revolution freely and then picks up the adjacent tumbler from the opposite side and the operation is continued until the 0 tumblers are all in contact in the opposite direction, or nearly so, as is shown in the view for the reverse position orv when the door is open.

If the door is then pulled down by hand, the tumblers reverse their position and again come 45 in contact for the position when the door is closed, as above described. By this means the door can be raised and closed under normal conditions, which would be designated as service operation.

When the door is used on an opening for a 50 iire or police station, a quick emergency opening is sometimes desired and the control point in some cases should be at a position accessible to a man in a drivers seat of a .fire truck or police car, or possibly the control point would be on l55 the wall back of the truck or police car. Therefore, by the arrangement above described, wheneverthe door is closed, the tumblers are always in position to form a direct contact between the free -end of the spring and the shaft, but the so shaft is free to move away if it is desired to raise the door. This action is similar to what is commonly called free-Wheeling in an automobile, where the springs serve the same purpose as the power from the engine and the shaft would be 65 attached to the wheels. It is not necessary that the tumblers come in contact in the reversed or opposite direction when the door is opened as they have no function in .this position. The function of the tumblers is only to provide a 70 means whereby the shaft can turn in a direction and with a suiiicient number of revolutions to operate the door for service operation, and yet provvide an immediate means whereby the free end of the spring can turn the shaft when the to come r11/contact with the ratchet wnee1 then the ratchet wheel can be turned in a direction opposite tothe arrow and ratchets by the release lever. This condition permits the door to be pulled down after it has been raised by the automatic spring, and thus by pulling the door down the shaft through the collar does the driving and drives the ratchet wheel in the direction opposite to the arrow and restores the tension to the spring, where the release lever holds the ratchet wheel from turning back and again holds the stored energy of thel spring for another auto- -matic opening.

It win be understood that it is desired to cemprehend within this invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by v Letters Patent, is:

1. Incombination with a door, a shaft connected to the door for raising it, means tending to rotate the shaft to raise the door, means cooperating with the first-named means to rotate the shaft to raise the door, and a'releasable connection arrangedvto selectively permit rela- 'i tive movement between said last-named means and the shaft, whereby the first-named means may act independently yof the second-named means or in' conjunction therewith.

2. In combination with a door, a shaft connected to the door for raising it, means tending to rotate -the shaft to raise the door, means cooperating with the first-named means to rotate the shaft to raise the door, and a connection between said last-named means and the shaft, whereby the first-named means may act independently of the second-named means or in conjunction therewith, said connection comprising a ratchet Wheel loosely mounted on the shaft and having a limited amount of rotary movement on the shaft.

3. In combination with a door, a shaft connected to the door for raising it, means tending to rotate the shaft to lraise the door, meansl cooperating with the first-named means to rotate the shaft to raise the door, and a connection between said last-named' means and the shaft, whereby the first-named means may act independently of the second-named means or in conjunction therewith, said connection comprising a ratchet wheel and a plurality of independently movable cooperating members on the shaft.

4. In combination with a door, a shaft connected to the door for raising it, means tending to rotate the' shaft to raise the door, means cooperating with the first-named means to rotate .the shaft to raise the door, and a connection between said last-named means and the shaft,

` whereby the rst-named means may act independently of the second-named means or in conjunction therewith, said connection comprising a ratchetv wheel loosely mounted on the shaft,

a projection fixed to the shaft, and a plurality of independently movable cooperating members 'on the shaft between the ratchet wheel and the projection.

5. Incombination with a door, a shaft connected to the door for raising it, means tending to rotate the shaft to raise the door, means cooperating with the first-named means to ro- ,tate the shaft to raise the door. and a connection 5 between said last-named means and the shaft, whereby the first-named means mayiact independently of the secondnamed means or in ccnjunction therewith, said connection comprising a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on the shaft, a 10 projection fixed to the shaft, and a plurality of independently movable cooperating members on the shaft between the ratchet wheel land. the pro- Jection said cooperating members being adapted toengage one another and the wheel and the 15 projecticnon the rotation of the shaft independently of the wheel.

6. In combination with a door, a shaft having on each end a drum, a cable for each drum having one end attached to thel drum and its other 20 end attached to the door, means ltending to rotate the shaft to wind the cables on theA drums and raise the door, and a torsion spring having one end fixed and its other end having a selectively releasable loose connection with the shaft, g5 whereby said means may act to raise the door independently of the spring or inl conjunction therewith.

'1. In combination with a door, a shaft having on each venel a drum, a cable foreach drum hav-'- 80` ing one end attached to the drum and its other end attached to the door, a pair of bearings 'for the shaft, a torsion having one end attached to the shaft and its other end attached to one of the bearings, a second torsion spring connected 35 at one end to the other bearing, and a loose connection between the other end of the secondnamed spring and the shaft, whereby the door may be Araised through the operation of the firstnamed spring independently of the second-named 40 spring or in conjunction therewith.

8. In combination with a door, a shaft having on each end a drum, a cable -for each drum Ahaving one end attached to the drum and its other end attached to the door, a pair of bear- 45` ings for the shaft, a torsion spring having one end. attached to the shaft and its other end attached to one of the bearings, a second torsion spring attached at one end to the other bearing, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on the 50 shaft andfattached to the other end of the second-named spring, releasable means to lock the ratchet wheel from turning, and a loose connection between the ratchet wheel and the shaft, whereby when the ratchet wheel is locked the 55 shaft may be rotated through the first-named shaft to raise the door and when the ratchet wheel is unlocked the shaft may be rotated through both'springs to raise the door.

9. In combination with a door, a shaft having 60 on each end a drum, a cable for each drum having one end attached to the drum and its other rotated through the first-named shaft to raise the door and when the ratchet wheel is unlocked the shaft may be rotated through both springs to raise the door, said connection comprising a plurality of independently movable interengaging discs adapted to engage the ratchet wheeland some part of the shaft.

10. In combination with a door, a shaft having on each end a drum, a cable for each drum having one end attachedto the drum and its other end attached to the door, a pair of bearings for the shaft, a torsion spring having one end attached to the shaft and its other end attached to one of the bearings, a second torsion spring attached at one end to the other bearing, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on the shaft, and attached to the other end of the secondnamed spring, releasable means to lock the ratchet wheel from turning, and a loose connection between the ratchet Wheel and the shaft, whereby when the ratchet wheel is locked the shaft may be rotated through the first-named shaft to raise the door and when the ratchet wheel is unlocked the shaft may be rotated through both springs to raise the door, said connection comprising a plurality of independently movable discs on the shaft, each disc having tumblers engaging one another and the ratchet wheel and some part of the shaft.

11. In combination, a door and operating door lifting shaft, cables connected to the door and the shaft, a counterbalancing spring associated with the door and shaft, a lifting spring associated with the shaft, means to hold the lifting spring normally inoperative, a clutch between the lifting spring and the shaft adapted to permit free operation of the counterbalance spring, door and shaft normally and to assume a closed position when the door is in its closed position, wherel by upon the release of the lifting spring it can immediately operate on the shaft to liftthe door.

12. In combination, a door and operating 'door 5 lifting shaft, cables connected to the door and. the shaft, a counterbalancing spring associated with the door and shaft, a lifting spring associated with the shaft, means to hold the lifting spring normally inoperative, a clutch between 10 the lifting spring and the shaft adapted to per- .w L mit free operation of the counterbalance spring, door and shaft normally and to assume a closed position when the door is in its closed position, whereby upon the release of the lifting spring 15 it can immediately operate on the shaft to lift the door, and drums on either end of said shaft upon which the door cables are wound.

13. In combination, a door and operating door I lifting shaft, cables connected to the door and 20 the shaft, a counterbalancing spring associated with the door and shaft, a lifting spring associated with the shaft, means to hold the lifting spring normally inoperative, a clutch between the lifting spring and the shaft adapted to permit 25 free operation of the counterbalance spring, door and shaft normally and to assume a closedr position when the door is in its closed position, whereby upon the release of the lifting spring it can immediately operate on the shaft to lift the door,

drums on either end of said shaft upon which the door cables are Wound, and means for connecting said door cables at opposite sides of the door adjacent the bottom thereof.

' RALPH H. GREEGOR. 35 

